First Apple Store in Belgium opens in Brussels

Belgium's first Apple Store opened on 19 September in Brussels, to the delight of hundreds of Apple fans who queued up early in the morning to attend the grand opening. The shop, located in the Toison d'Or Arcade, is the first to be designed entirely by Apple's chief designer Jonathan Ive and retail chief Angela Ahrendts.

The exterior is equipped with a metre-high glass facade with partly curved partitions and minimal seams, while the interior is filled with plenty of wood, slate walls and real trees in pots.

The fans were treated to their first glimpse of the long-awaited Apple Watch, which is on sale for the first time in Belgium.

Le Soir reported late last year that Apple aimed to open three branches in Belgium, including Antwerp and Ghent. Preparations for the Antwerp location began in June, according to job advertisements. Even with three branches, the Apple offering in Belgium remains relatively small; In the UK there are 39 Apple Stores.